#scrapped fic idea

[authorangelita]

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

Hi! Thank you for the ask!

I don't know if I would ever consider anything scrapped for good, but I had an idea for Mac having a half-brother named Sam. I posted a very short intro to Sam for Cairo Week last year, but there was a lot more to the idea and more written for the story. The biggest issue is that it involves Jonah Walsh, and I just can't seem to wrap my brain around his character.

Essentially, Sam shows up looking for James and finds Mac. Before Sam can leave, armed men bust into the house and kidnap Mac and Sam and leave an injured Jack behind. The men are Walsh's lackeys, and they kidnapped Mac and Sam to use them as leverage against James, who Walsh is also holding captive. All of this is so that James will finish the KX7 for Walsh.

Here's a snippet of the unfinished fic :)

The next few minutes were a blur.  Sam reached for the door as it flew open, and two masked, armed men rushed inside.  A stun gun was pressed to Sam's chest, and he fell to the floor with a cry of pain.  Mac charged forward, dodging the man with the stun gun and throwing a punch at the other guy.  They were in full Tac gear, so all he did was bruise his hand and give stun gun guy an opportunity to hit him with the charge in the back.

His muscles seized, and he, too, fell to the floor.  Sound faded, and all he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears, but he could still see everything.  He watched Jack put up a hell of a fight, knocking one of the masked men out, but it was all over when the second one pulled out a tactical knife.  Mac's hand twitched as he tried to will his body to get up and help Jack, but he couldn't move. 

Jack and the intruder fought, moving out of the entryway and into the kitchen.  It looked like Jack would get the upper hand, but then the intruder swept Jack's legs out from under him and then stabbed the knife down into Jack's chest. 

Mac wanted to scream, get up, do something, anything, but he couldn't.  Jack wasn't moving either, and Mac wasn't sure he was even breathing anymore.  The intruder stood, moved back over to Mac, and hit him in the head with the butt of the knife.  He instantly lost consciousness.

[sunnyupsidedown]

Time Travel/Immortal AU: Neil’s Side

This has been in my drafts for ages (5 years!!). Time to yolo post lol

As the title says, I had this AU and well, I’m not gonna finish it, but I still wanted to share it. The plot is completely thought out (kinda... less so than Andrew’s side). There was a bunch a research that didn’t want to do so in the end it got scrapped.

This is mostly notes and a couple small snippets of the story.

[original snippet] [Andrew’s Side]

Neil can time travel. This will follow his timeline and his POV.

I suggest reading Andrew’s Side first. Neil’s POV wasn’t a planned thing but there were some parts that would be interesting to get his POV on. Basically saying that Neil’s part isn’t as fleshed out as Andrew’s.

Under the cut because this is a very long post.

Notes on Time Travel

Time travel drug that Mary 100% stole.

Cannot travel into the future of when they first time traveled but everything before is fair game.

Has to stay at least 24 hours before moving on.

Cannot overlap existence in the same time period. Like can’t have a 15 y/o Neil running around with a 30 y/o Neil. Younger has priority so 30!Neil would be ejected from the timeline to some other time (or he could just leave before that happens).

The Beginning

Neil always thought it strange how instead of bedtime stories about princes and heroes, his mother gave him history lessons. It wasn’t always like that though. It started around the time Neil was six and the first time he came back from the hospital for “falling out of a tree.” History lessons turned into hypothetical instructions on time travel which were loads more interesting than who killed who or who slept with who to become royalty. Bedtime stories soon turned into secret make believe sessions out of sight of Neil’s father. The sessions were harsh and weren’t really as fun as playing with his holo-blocks or holo-ball with the neighborhood kids. His mother had strict rules and hard punishments for a incorrect fact or a misplaced word in a foreign language. At this point, Neil believed his mother was a little crazy, but it was kind of nice to pretend to be a kid growing up in the 2000’s or during the third World War or during the victorian era or with the Romans or on the plains of Africa before the energy crisis of 25th century. It was better than the reality of his current time and household.

Mary’s set of time travel rules

Do not tell anyone about time traveling

Always have a +30 year gap between time periods traveled to.

Do not get close to anyone.

Know your time/history

Get standard clothes asap

Do not draw attention to yourself

When Neil is 14, Mary packs their bags and they leave. They go on the run to different parts of the world collecting things. Neil (15) doesn’t know why but they end up in Neo-Seattle and Mary made a makeshift lab in their hotel room. She’s been putting things together and ends up with two vials of clear blue liquid. She shoves one into Neil’s hands with instructions to drink. He does while she downs hers. It’s immediately awful. It burns down his throat, but not in the way alcohol burns. Neil thought it was like how a strong acid would feel. Like the moment it touched skin, it destroyed cell walls and burrowed deep into the skin.

The door burst open. Neil sees the silhouette of his father and Lola. Mary urges Neil to stand and make towards the window. A knife is thrown. Neil cries as it lodges in his back. “Neil,” Mary whispers in his ear. “I’ll hold them back. You’re going to open that window and jump.” It was the fifth floor, the only room available. Below was nothing for hundreds of miles and then toxic ocean. “Not that jump. Time. You know what to do.”

Neil runs to the window and uses a pocket laser to get it to open. He hears metal against metal as Mary fights of Nathan and Lola.

“Mom! It’s open!”

She turns and runs towards him. The axe swings. Mary grabs Neil and jumps out the window. The axe clips her side. They jump time.

Mary survived a week. Neil wanders around for a bit. He gets in trouble and captured (by the Moriyamas). He’s there for a few months and then Andrew saves him.

“Who are you?”

“Oh that’s a weird twist of events. You asking who I am. The question is who are you right now?”

“I asked first.”

“Andrew.”

Neil hesitated. “I’m Chris.”

Andrew smiled. It was amused and maybe a little tired, Neil wasn’t sure. “Chris? Sure.”

“You gotta jump kid.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Yeah you do.”

“What about you? Won’t you get in trouble for this?”

“Taking a page from your book, I’ll be fine. You’ll see me later kid.”

One Year

(15-mid-16-mid) Neil goes back a couple hundred years and wonders around for a few weeks before enrolling in a school. He was too young to wander without some sort of supervision to not draw attention to himself. He enrolls and joins the exy team because he’s a junkie. He also mourns his mom. He doesn’t really know what to do with himself. He doesn’t want to be caught by the Moriyamas again (a group that exists then all the way to Neil’s original timeline). Even though they wouldn’t know him in this time period but it’s happened before so he doesn’t want to risk it. He know he has to leave at some point.

Runs into Andrew again at his last exy match. Is like who the fuc- Andrew? What the hell? He shouldn’t be alive? Didn’t know there was some sort of age preserving thing in this time period. Or maybe it was just someone who looked like him but then:

“Who are you right now?” was eerily familiar and like he should know, his name was on the roster. (Maybe Nicky was with him or Kevin. And that’s how he got to an exy match)

“Stephen? And you are?”

“Andrew.”

It was just a coincidence. But his mind told him it wasn’t. He needed to go. This was dangerous. He couldn’t go back to that cell. After gathering supplies, two days later Neil left.

Neil has a Knack for Getting Captured

(1353ish) Neil (16) goes back. Way back. The land is different than what he’s used to. There is no electricity, no cars or planes, anything. He might’ve panicked a little and went too far but well whatever. He knows what to do. He’s in the middle of a jungle. He walks and ends up falling for a rope/pit trap? People come to get him and he’s taken to their village/empire. He’s treated well. Like they give him a bunch of food and dress him in fancy clothes. Neil sneaks from his room one night and hears the word sacrifice get thrown about. Not good. Then of all people Andrew is suddenly there. And isn’t that even more alarming. But Andrew helps him escape.

“Neil.” It take a while for Neil to figure out that Andrew was referring to him.

“Why do you keep calling me that? My name’s Adam.”

Andrew pauses, blinks, and then shrugs. “Okay.”

Conversation about who Andrew is. Time traveler? Immortal? Impossible. And Andrew’s like “Are you a god?” And Neil’s amused and explains time travel because why not. Andrew’s not 100% convinced but okay.

Salem

(1692) Neil (17) has heard about the witch trials and thinks it’s a good idea to check it out. Saves Andrew (but it can be argued that Andrew was doing alright by himself).

Islands Are Dangerous

(1920′s?) Neil ends up on some island of some rich person and ends up getting shot by ‘accident’. Rich guy is very apologetic and takes Neil home to patch him up. Insists on letting him stay from a few days to heal a little. When Neil wishes to leave, guy says there’s a night ferry and gives directions. Neil’s kinda like ??? but goes with it. Guy doesn’t accompany cause he has stuff to do. Cue being hunted by the rich guy. Neil jumps away in a hurry.

(1014) Hello Baby Andrew. Neil is amused. Neil decides that he’s going to stop making up new names and stick with Neil.

Some Things Happen

(1749) Andrew pokes fun at Neil’s (18) still healing shoulder.

(1580) Roanoke: Neil (19) is curious about the real reason Roanoke disappears.

(2122) Neil (19) bumps into Andrew and Andrew is surprised to see him. They spend the day together. Andrew is a little weird compared to what Neil is used to. It reminds him of when he first met Andrew. Neil was going to stay longer but Andrew told him to leave.

Time to Repay the Favor

(1861) Neil (19) is chilling in some village and hears some rumors about an asylum in the neighboring town. Neil investigates because why not and finds out Andrew has been a patient there for almost five years. Alarm bells go off because Neil knows that asylums are typically the last place someone would want to be in that time period. He purposely gets thrown into the asylum and busts Andrew out. Travel with him until he’s in his 20’s. Get together at some point. Leave because he knows it’s not the time period where he belongs.

Sunsets and Stories

(1337) Neil (20) goes far back for some alone time to think. Reflects on how he forgot pretty fast about staying on the run.

A whisper of his name drew his attention behind him. It was Andrew. Of course it was. Wherever and whenever he traveled he was always close by.

He looked the same as always outwardly. Blond, eyes that reflected gold from the setting sun, short. But he was different. Almost lighter in a sense of the atmosphere around him. Neil knew why and it broke his heart.

“Hello Andrew. How old are you?”

Settle

(2207) Neil (20) meets Andrew and Andrew tells him not yet again. Something about how it’s not his time (period) to settle yet.

He (20-21) has a time when he visits Andrew for a few days and then jumps forward a couple weeks or months. Until it eventually stops and Neil lives with Andrew.

When Neil is 30 he leaves for a year because his 15 y/o self already lived the time.

On the same day every year from 1862-2227 Neil visits Andrew.

Dies at age 81.

“Out of the trillions of people who have lived on this planet throughout time, I’m glad to have met you.“

[courfee]

it's been exactly a year since the last chapter of Operation Walburga's Arbitrary No Kissing Ever Rule and I still miss it. This scene is probably one of my favourite things I've ever written and I've wanted to draw it for forever, so now seemed like an appropriate time

[bitterie-sweetie]

Fake it til you make it

Pairing: Jeonghan x reader Genre: fluff, fake dating WC: 6.5k Warnings: alcohol A/N: yes it's about vday buuut it's actually for @syuperseventeen's bdayyy!!! surprise surprise! happy birthday nat, i hope this year is even better and filled with many things to look forward to <3

Your Valentine’s date with Jeonghan is coming up and yet the only thing on your mind is how to break up with him. Of course breaking up with someone is difficult, but you’d argue that what’s more difficult is breaking up with someone you never even dated.

Jeonghan is a prankster. 

Growing up, you’d often be on the receiving end of his pranks at school. Third grade “initiation” had you drenched in water after he told you to pin a cup against the wall with a straw, and in ninth grade you had tears streaming down your face after eating an entire scoop of wasabi—not the matcha ice cream he said it was. Then there was the time he did something to make your first crush hate you, which, in hindsight, was a good thing because the guy turned out to be a total asshole. 

It wasn’t Jeonghan’s fault entirely when you were too willing to fall for his pranks because being the target of a prank meant having his attention, and that’s something that you wanted. Jeonghan had a way of making everyone feel special, and his attention was a limelight that you never wanted to step out of. 

Honestly, you might’ve kept up with it if he kept going. But then that fateful day came and it was like you were suddenly on his side, working with him instead of being the victim to his antics, and you’d say that that’s what has kept the two of you together after all these years. 

Well, at least until now.

“Hey,” you greet in a rush, looking around the table at everyone and seeing that you’re truly the last one to arrive. Usually, you’d give that place to Lee Chan; he’s the most popular of your friend group and almost always has a prior appointment to your meetups. “Sorry I’m late. My train was delayed and—oh, did you already order for me?” 

Jeonghan slides a sealed bubble tea across the table and sets it in front of your seat—the one empty chair right beside him, no less. When you glance at him questioningly he shrugs and tilts his head towards the crowd at the front. “The line was too long so I ordered yours with mine. Hope you’re feeling like your usual today.” 

Indeed, the sticker on the cup shows that it’s your go-to order. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you. Thanks, babe.” 

Today’s meet up with your friend group is the first of the year and it’s also the first time you’re seeing everyone since Chan’s wedding… including Jeonghan. You would’ve spent Christmas and New Year’s with him had he not cancelled on you, and now that bit of distance has manifested into a larger uncertainty for you over the past while. Even now, the ‘babe’ seemed to come out awkwardly, sticking to your throat.

“Wow, you guys are actually disgusting. I hope you know that.” Seungkwan makes a face at you, and beside him, Soonyoung nods a few times in agreement. 

You plaster on a smile. “It’s okay to just say you’re jealous.” 

The only response you get is an eye-roll from Soonyoung, and then everyone moves on, thankfully. Mingyu asks you what you’ve been up to so you talk about your recent promotion at work and some new habits you’ve started in the new year, and when you sense that the conversation is starting to approach the territory of your future with Jeonghan, you gently steer it towards Chan. After all, he’s the one that got married just a few months ago, and you know he would never miss the chance to talk about his amazing honeymoon and how great this new chapter of his life is going.

There is truly nothing like adult friendships and its quarterly updates. 

Once there’s a bit of a lull in the conversation, Jeonghan turns to you. “What are you doing this week?” 

“Oh, this week?” Your heart speeds up tenfold at the uncertainty of what might come next. “Hmm well, it’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yeah, exactly.” He nods and much to your relief, there’s a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. “So I’ll see you for our date then?” 

“Of course, babe.” 

“Can’t you guys do this somewhere else?” Soonyoung says as he stares daggers in your direction. You totally understand and sympathize with that though; today you’re turning up the sweetness more than usual to compensate for the distance you actually feel, unfortunately at the expense of your friends.

Jeonghan completely ignores Soonyoung’s complaint and doesn’t even look his way. “That’s good,” he says, leaning back in his seat and almost looking relieved at your answer. “I was afraid my darling might not have time for me anymore.”

“What? No way. Did you have anything in mind for our date?” 

“Hmm, yes but it’s a surprise. I’ll text you the details later.” 

“Well, uh, I have to run,” Chan says, slowly getting up from his seat. The rest of you hardly bat an eye, having gotten too used to his busy schedule. “It was nice seeing everyone. You guys should come over for my housewarming once everything is set up.” 

Mingyu stands up too. “Oh, I actually have to go too; got a dinner with Wonwoo later.” 

…On second thought, perhaps you overcompensated a bit too much with the cringe. Soonyoung and Seungkwan leave soon after getting a call from their roommate, Seokmin, and then it’s just you and Jeonghan at the table. Still seated side by side, your arm occasionally brushing against his. 

“How have you really been?” he asks in a low voice. 

“Decent, I guess, despite the winter blues and all. It’s pretty much what I said earlier.” You shrug when he remains silent. “Why do you ask? Do I look depressed or something?”   

“No,” he shakes his head with a laugh, “not depressed, exactly, but I wanted to see if you’re as sad as I am about not seeing each other in so long.” Then he leans in a bit closer, as if to whisper a secret. “I missed you, darling.”

It’s times like this when you feel like he’s toeing the line. There’s a small smile lingering on his lips and a softer look in his eyes, not at all like the overdone sweetness to the point of sarcasm from before, but you can never tell if he really means what he says or if this is just part of the act. 

Regardless, it makes your face feel hot and it makes you unable to look directly at him. 

“Oh… yeah,” you say, trying to make a quick recovery. “It’s too bad we missed out on the holidays but at least we get Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yup, that’s exactly why I have something special in mind for that day. I want to make it up to you, darling.” 

You give him a smile and then go to take a sip of your drink, and that’s pretty much the end of the conversation. Despite saying he misses you, it’s interesting how he doesn’t explain why he bailed on the holidays in the first place, and you don’t know whether you should ask about it at this point.

Or if you should even be curious about such a thing. 

Jeonghan pulls you out of your thoughts with a brush of his hand on yours. “It’s getting dark. Let’s head out?” 

You agree and then let him hold your hand, lace his fingers with yours, and then lead you out of the shop. He doesn’t let go until you cross the parking lot and get to his car. It’s strange, you think. You can’t seem to recall the last time the two of you held hands so naturally like this especially when there’s no one else around. 

In fact, when the two of you are alone, the sickening sweetness is always toned down but not completely dropped. Now, Jeonghan’s smiles are softer around the edges like they’re less exaggerated, less of a performance, and when he calls you darling, his voice is quieter and isn’t at all coated in the sticky honey you’re used to. When he hugs you goodbye at your door, it’s a loose hug and almost has a degree of uncertainty. 

Jeonghan steps back but lingers just for a second. “I’ll see you in a few days for our date, darling.”

“Of course,” you put on a smile, “I can’t wait, babe.” 

He waits until you get into your building before giving a little wave and then heading on his way. 

After you close the door behind you and collapse onto your bed, you heave a sigh and finally let the smile slip from your lips. So there would be a Valentine’s date this year after all; the anticipation makes your heart speed up the slightest but at the same time makes you all the more anxious. You thought that he really would end things today, and if not, that you should be the one to do so. But seeing him after so long, feeling the way the warmth of his touch lingers on your skin, basking in the brightness of his smiles, you simply couldn’t utter those words. 

Perhaps Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be the right time to do it either, or maybe your date won’t end up happening for whatever reason. You know that this is something you have to do, but the question is how exactly would you go about doing it? Because there is one major problem. 

You’re not dating Jeonghan at all. 

One moment in high school is what started this whole thing.

It was eleventh grade drama class—which Jeonghan thought would be fun to take as an elective—that resulted in the two of you being cast in the school play. Although neither of you landed a role that was remotely close to important, Jeonghan decided to have fun with it and improvise during your one minute of screen time and that somehow turned your insignificant cameos into a beautiful romance that had the audience rooting for you. 

And that very moment somehow managed to embed itself so deeply in your relationship with Jeonghan that it became a long running joke to this day. 

Today you’re sitting across from Soonyoung and Seungkwan again, with Mingyu beside you this time. Almost an exact replica of last week’s meetup, but Chan already has plans and Jeonghan is very obviously missing—something Soonyoung points out immediately.

“Wow, no Jeonghan today?” he says loudly even before the hostess is out of earshot. The people at the two tables nearby glance in your direction and you start to regret coming here at all. “We really won this one. Y/N, we should do this more often.” 

You definitely should not. “Um, yeah. Totally.” 

Last week’s meeting with your friends is what gave you the idea to consult with them about your situation. You first suggested the idea to Mingyu, and then used the prospect of free food to get Soonyoung and Seungkwan to come out, and naturally, Chan is busy so it ends up being the four of you at brunch. Which is better on your wallet, you think. You get the feeling that this quarterly meetup can totally happen more often if you were to make this offer every time. 

As for what you’re about to ask… well, truthfully, you still don’t know if you should even do it. You’ve gone so many years without saying a word that it’d simply be odd to ask now, plus you would run the risk of making everything weird. But if you don’t do it, you would only end up making it weird anyway because how much longer can you go on pretending?

Besides, it’s not only you and Jeonghan who are prolonging this inside joke for way longer than it should’ve lasted. All of your friends should be in on it if they treat the two of you like a couple too. 

The waiter comes by to take your orders, and you try not to wince at the entire list that comes out of Soonyoung and Seungkwan’s mouths. Mingyu gets the least, seemingly knowing that something is up if the worried glances he throws your way is anything to go by. 

Once the waiter leaves, that’s when the small talk stops and all eyes turn to you.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Soonyoung asks with a goofy grin. “Since Jeonghan’s not here, does that mean you need help with Valentine’s Day plans or something?” 

Beside him, Seungkwan has the complete opposite expression as he eyes you warily between sips of his americano.

You take a huge swig of water like it’s liquid courage, and then go for it. “This is going to sound weird…” you start, trying not to notice the way Seungkwan tenses up as if bracing for your words, “but I wanted to ask you guys what my relationship with Jeonghan is.” 

Silence. Complete, dead silence. 

Soonyoung freezes like he’s in a photograph while Seungkwan’s hand holding his americano hangs in mid air as a drop of the drink dribbles down the side of his lip. 

“Sorry, what?” It’s Soonyoung who recovers first. “I think I heard that wrong.” 

You shake your head. “Just tell me.” 

“You’re asking us what your relationship with your own boyfriend is?” 

“Boyfriend—exactly!” You have to hold back all the thoughts you have on the topic. “Yeah, that’s what I mean. So you think he’s my boyfriend? That we’re dating?” 

Soonyoung frowns but it’s Seungkwan who answers, exasperated. “Y/N, what are you trying to say here? Are you trying to say you guys broke up? Or do you think we don’t know you well enough and this is a test? Can you say whatever it is directly—” 

“Jeonghan and I aren’t together.”

There, you said it. Your biggest secret is out.

It should make you relieved to finally let out the secret you’ve been harbouring for years or it should at least alleviate some of the weight on your chest, but it doesn’t. The silence in the wake of your confession only closes in on you and makes it all the more suffocating.

“Any—anymore?”

“No. We were never together.”

The bit of silence from earlier repeats itself. Maybe you should become a speaker or presenter with your ability to draw such reactions from a crowd.

Seungkwan noisily sets down his drink and then leans forward with a frown. He’s still in denial, that much is obvious, and he narrows his eyes as he asks, “Is this a joke? A hidden camera? Are you trying to prank us like Jeonghan—”

“No, I’m completely serious. It’s really not what it seems, and this is why I’m asking you guys what you see us as because at this point I don’t even know the answer myself.” 

With a deep breath, you tell them the truth about this entire thing.

You tell them about the high school play and your impromptu acting, and how that led for the two of you to become the famous couple at school afterwards. Sure, it might’ve been a good thing because that meant your acting was believable. But to two people who were interested in just about anything except love at that age, it was annoying and gross. 

After the show when the shippers wouldn’t stop, the two of you decided to do what you do best—pull a prank. You spent that Valentine’s Day together as a joke and acted extra disgusting to mock couples while making fun of how stupid people were to believe whatever you showed them. In twelfth grade, the two of you did the same for Valentine’s Day and then even went to prom together as a joke. 

In recent years, however, the annual joke of a Valentine’s Day date has turned into his Christmas and your Lunar New Year, his cousin’s graduation, your coworker’s housewarming, and Lee Chan’s wedding. It’s made you on a texting basis with his sister and it’s made him familiar with all your favourite food spots and go-to orders. It’s turned him into someone who’s simultaneously as distant as an acquaintance yet closer than a best friend. 

And so, here you are, living an entire lie because you and Jeonghan had the whole world fooled.

“That’s insane,” Soonyoung says when you finally finish the story, unable to look your way and instead, stares into his drink with how mind blown he is.

Seungkwan, on the other hand, remains a bit skeptical. “Okay, but then what was with all that PDA?All the kissing? Is this some sort of situationship?” 

“Oh, um.” Immediately you can feel your cheeks heating up. You didn’t think this far at all but now it seems like the entire truth will have to come out. “All of it was fake. We’ve… never actually kissed.” 

That drama class has taught you more than you needed to know about manipulating angles and the audience’s perception, and Jeonghan is very good at it. Your fake kisses were often just a trick of the angle or occasionally using the thumb trick, and having seen the evidence captured in photos over the years, you know how convincing it can look.

Now, it’s embarrassing to admit for reasons you never would’ve imagined. Admitting to pulling a childish prank like this is one thing, but the realization that you and Jeonghan have faked it for so long without ever once making it real has you feeling almost dejected.

“I always knew Jeonghan was crazy but I didn’t know he’d be *this* crazy.” Soonyoung now has his head in his hands and is staring off into space. “This is the most insane story I’ve ever heard. I’m not sure if I should be happy for you or sad.” 

You give a wry smile. “Yeah, well, I get why you would think we were together though. You met us in college and wouldn’t have known about what happened in the past so I guess there would never be a reason to question it.” 

Beside you, Mingyu clears his throat and you turn to look at him. He’s been so quiet throughout your story that you were too busy focusing on the reactions of the other two, but looking at him now, his reaction is entirely different. Mingyu isn’t as surprised as he is concerned. “Actually, Y/N, a few years ago…” he says hesitantly, “there was a time when I asked him if you were actually dating.” 

“You did? What did he say?”

“He didn’t deny it.”

“Well, we all know how he loves to be ambiguous and leave things a mystery.”

Mingyu shakes his head. “No—see, that’s what I thought too, but it was different that time. At first he didn’t deny it, but when I pushed a bit more, he said that you’re dating. In actual words and with the most serious look I’ve ever seen on his face.” 

This is news to you. You always assumed that they were all in on the joke and would’ve never guessed that anyone actually asked Jeonghan, but the fact that he answered that way is all the more baffling. 

“I don’t get it. Why would he tell you that?” 

“Yeah, so,” Soonyoung says, “from then on we all thought that was fully confirmed, and he never said or implied otherwise.” 

“Right…”

Mingyu nudges you gently. “Y/N, are you telling us about this now because you’re planning on stopping the act? Has it been bothering you? Or did something happen?” 

“Is that why you wanted to tell us today?” Soonyoung lets out a dramatic gasp and leans all the back in his chair, hands over his mouth. “Don’t tell me—are you going to stop the act because you have a crush on someone?”

“What? No, definitely not. It’s not that, it’s—” 

Here’s the next part of your big secret being revealed, something you weren’t entirely ready for but you tell yourself that this needs to happen. 

It’s because of your feelings for Jeonghan. Your very real, very genuine feelings that have nothing to do with this prank.

Truthfully, you can’t pinpoint when you started feeling this way, much like you’re not sure how this joke was able to stick around for so long. It could be the most recent development—when your friend tried to convince you to hop on a dating app, all you could think about was how wrong it felt because you already had Jeonghan. Or maybe it was the Valentine’s Day just before college graduation when he leaned in so closely you thought he was going to kiss you, for real this time, and then only realizing much later that you were disappointed that it wasn’t real. 

Or perhaps it started way back, to the time he asked you to prom—he said he didn’t have a date only for you to later find out he’d already rejected two promposals from other people. All for your fake relationship, supposedly.

And now, for you, what has started as a harmless prank has turned into something much more than that over the years. 

Everyone looks like they're at a loss for words after that part, and even Soonyoung has lost his enthusiasm after hearing it. “Shit, that’s…” he starts. “Okay, yeah, I’m definitely sad for you.” 

Seungkwan and Mingyu have similar sentiments but you wave them off, eager to lighten the mood again after such heavy topics. The food on the table has been long finished and you’re beginning to feel like you’re overstaying your welcome when there’s a crowd waiting at the front of the restaurant. “It’s fine, it’s whatever. I just wanted to get this off my chest today so that I can figure things out before I see him in a few days.” 

A while later, you finish paying and then all head out together. 

The conversation continues to replay itself in your head, and you realize there is one thing you’re curious about. You turn to Mingyu. “By the way—Mingyu, why *did* you ask Jeonghan if we were actually dating?”

Mingyu stops mid-stride and freezes like a deer in headlights, clearly not expecting your question at all. “I—um, I was asking for a friend.” 

“A friend?”

“Yeah, Chan.” He nods a few times in a row. “I thought Chan had a crush on you and I was trying to help him out.”

Strange, seeing as you’ve probably interacted with Chan the least among your friend group. He’s simply too booked and busy to hang out with you, and has been all throughout your college years together. 

Oh, and he’s married.

“Like, before he met his wife?” you ask.

Soonyoung starts to cough furiously from where he is a few steps ahead while Mingyu’s cheeks redden the slightest bit. 

You vaguely remember the first time the two of you did this, and how it wasn’t anything like how it’s going now. 

Tonight is the night you’re supposed to go on your date with Jeonghan, and you’ve been buzzing with nerves since the night before. You have no idea what to expect for tonight since all he told you about it was to show up at his apartment, and that in itself was slightly concerning as you’ve never been to his home before nor has he been so secretive about any plans. Usually the two of you would be going to a casual place or would have the schedule shared ahead of time if it was a more formal event that needed preparation. 

Jeonghan buzzes you in when you arrive and before you can say you’ll wait for him in the lobby, he tells you to go up to his unit. Again, a bit strange. You do as he asks though, and then even go to knock on the door when there’s no sign of him coming out.

When he opens the door and steps aside, that’s when everything clicks��you’re not here so that he can get his car and take you to your date location. This *is* the date location.

Beyond the doorway, you can see that his apartment is completely decorated. Rose petals line the sides of the hall and lead to the dining table, covered in a deep red tablecloth and perfectly set for your meal. Beside it, a large bouquet of roses rests at the center of the sideboard surrounded by a row of flickering candles which light up the space.

Even without knowing what his home normally looks like, it’s obvious that all this would’ve taken a lot of effort to set up.

“Jeonghan, why did you prepare all this?”

He gives you a dazzling smile. “Because my darling deserves the best, of course. I told you I was going to make it up to you for cancelling Christmas.” 

“Babe, that’s too sweet of you. You really didn’t have to.” You try to return his smile but it doesn’t come easy when this whole situation is overwhelming. Then you let him take your coat and then guide you to the dining table where everything is set up. 

Only when you’re seated do you realize that his response doesn’t answer your question at all. 

The scent of the roses fill the room and looking at them gives you a pang in your heart. This is what the two of you used to make fun of—these big, romantic gestures, and the couples that willingly eat them up. Now it’s as if the tables have turned and you don’t know what to think. 

If this were in public, in front of your friends or other people, you would’ve said that it was another funny gesture that Jeonghan put up for the sake of making them cringe. Because the two of you were the perfect joking, prankster couple, right? 

Now that it’s just you and him here, it confuses you as to why he’s going to such lengths for a joke when it’s something that no one else would see, when there’s no audience to watch his performance. 

You watch as Jeonghan busies himself in the kitchen, serving the food that he’s prepared and pouring the wine into glasses while glancing your way every once in a while. He looks pleased, you note, and he should be if he got his space to look this beautiful. But you can sense that there’s something else too, almost like a nervousness that sits on his shoulder every time he breezes past you and makes eye contact for the briefest second.

After everything is ready, he finally takes a seat across from you and the dinner begins.

Making small talk is easy at first; you comment on your surprise at this type of date, talk about how cold it’s been lately and how it sucks that your company is forcing you to go back into the office. You ask him how his holiday went and how his family has been, and mention how cute his sister’s new puppy is after seeing a post about it on her social media. 

You know you’re just delaying the inevitable. Somehow you get the feeling he knows it too, judging by the way his answers are shorter than usual and how your conversation feels so superficial. So this time after there’s a lull in the conversation, you decide to go for it.

"Jeonghan, um…"

"Hmm?" He looks at you and waits for you to continue, but you don't. Or rather, you can't. "Ah, you're going to comment on how good this is, right?" he says instead, as if supplying you with a way out.

You're all too eager to grab onto it. "Wow, you read my mind." An enthusiastic nod, a slight look of surprise. "It's amazing. Did you make all this yourself?"

Jeonghan shakes his head and then follows up with a sheepish smile. "Partly. The rest is store bought."

Another nod, and then it just ends there again. Seated in this spot with the soft lighting of flickering candles cast against the wall and the heat of Jeonghan's gaze on you, the feeling of discomfort only grows. It's hard to remember what the two of you were like before, during the days when everything seemed so silly–when each move was a clearly defined act between two actors and the world was your stage. And most importantly, when each smile he showed you didn't send your stomach into somersaults or your mind into a loop of second guessing. 

The air is so heavy and stifling that you grab your glass and down a large gulp of the wine. At least when you're drinking, you wouldn’t have to speak, whether that might be responding to him in a way that gives away all of your thoughts, or completely spilling them out yourself. Maybe the alcohol will also drown out some of your anxieties and–

"Hey, slow down." Jeonghan glances at you with worry. "We have all night."

You set the glass down, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Right, sorry. This wine is just so good."

Yet another lie, but what's one more at this point? The wine is much too sour and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. You would've much preferred a soda or bubble tea, and drinking something fancy like this during such a fancy occasion makes you feel like you're pretending to be someone you're not.

Which is exactly what you're doing, isn't it? You've been living a lie this entire time.

You briefly wonder if Jeonghan feels the same way—the two of you have never properly spent time alone in complete privacy, and to have your first time be in such a formal atmosphere must feel strange. But if he's uncomfortable, he makes no sign of showing it. Or maybe he's always been the better actor of the two of you.

“You know, since you mentioned seasonal depression, I was thinking that for Christmas this year we should go somewhere. Somewhere warm and sunny to get away from the cold.”

“Oh, this year?” you repeat stupidly when you can’t quite believe what you’re hearing. Jeonghan wants to continue this thing? And here you were, thinking that he was about to end it at any moment for the past few months. “Um, yeah. That would be nice.” 

“Or it could be a fall trip. Your parents have been wanting to go see the leaves change colour, right?” 

There’s no hint of sarcasm on his face and no playful twinkle in his eye, and even though no one can read him very well, you know enough to tell that he’s being serious. You also know that what he’s saying makes no sense at all.

“Right, yeah. They’ve been wanting to do that.” 

“Y/N, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you reply automatically, and then reach for another long gulp of your drink. “Yup, all good.”

Jeonghan frowns, a tiny crease appearing between his brows. “Are you sure? If you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.” 

It’s strange, the way he looks at you. Jeonghan, who dances around questions and deflects easily with humour and only shows people what he wants them to see, now has worry filling his eyes as he waits for you to continue. As if he *knows*.

You doubt Soonyoung and Seungkwan would have spilled your secret so easily, but there’s a great possibility that the two of them would be unable to act normal around him after what they learned, and unintentionally hint at the truth. Then there’s the other possibility that Jeonghan knew way before any of this. Because maybe he—

No, you don’t want to think about that.

“It’s just that,” you say, having to force yourself to pause and slow down your thoughts before something terrible comes spewing out. A slow inhale, a shaky exhale. “Why are we here, Jeonghan?”

His frown deepens, but now it’s turned into confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What are we doing? This date has been nice, but I’m just very confused over why you put so much effort into this when there’s no one else around to see it. Weren’t we doing all of this as a joke? As a prank? Pretending to be a couple so that we can fool the world since that’s exactly what they wanted to see, but joke’s on them because we’re not?” 

Jeonghan watches you silently with an unreadable look on his face. “Is that how you feel?”

“’Well, yes, because isn’t that the truth? And now, we’ve been doing so much together that it doesn’t feel like a joke anymore. How can it be when your mom is offering to give me homemade side dishes? Or—or when Chan’s wife was there, smiling at us on her wedding day like she wished we’d be just as happy as they are?” You pause to look at him and then proceed to look away. “How long are we going to continue lying to the world? Because I can’t stand the guilt.”

The last part of that may be true, but it’s not the full truth. 

“Yeah, you’re right. We don’t have to keep doing this.”

“W—what?” You stare at him, dumbfounded. 

Jeonghan sighs deeply and then meets your eyes, but then quickly looks away. “Yeah, we should’ve left this in high school. The joke has kind of gotten old, hasn’t it?” 

You have no idea what he means by any of that, but it feels like you’re better off not knowing. The tension in the air is thick, and even when you imagined your fake breakup hundreds of times in your head, this is not something you could have predicted. It’s as you’re on a precipice, and one wrong move will delete all those years, all that time you spent with him. 

And the worst part is that you don’t even want to break up.

“Jeonghan, look. I know all of this is supposed to be a joke, but why is it that it feels like you really do care?” One last deep breath before you make the jump. “And why is it that I *want* you to care?” 

That has him stunned for a second, so much that the expression is obvious on his face in a way that almost never happens. 

“Wait, what? I do care. No, I get that we started all this for fun back then, but that’s not how I feel about it now. Everything we’ve done is real—trust me, I wouldn’t have brought you to my family if that wasn’t the case. And I never thought I was lying to them. It’s exaggerated, yes, and much too dramatic, but I’m not a good enough actor where all that can be based on a complete lie.” 

You braced yourself for the final blow, only to be completely confused over his words. “What are you saying?” 

“Y/N, it’s always been real to me. All of it.” 

“But—but I thought you wanted to stop all this when you cancelled our plans for Christmas. Why did you do that?”

Jeonghan opens his mouth a little but then closes it again. “Do you remember last year at Chan’s wedding when you caught the bouquet?” 

You nod but don’t hide your confusion about where this is going.

“After you caught it, everyone was looking at you… and then at me. It was like they all expected us to be next, because well,” he shrugs, “everyone thought we were together. And that’s when I realized that this is more than simply feeling like it’s real. We were turning it into something real.”

“So you called off Christmas because you wanted to stop doing this? Because you hated how it was becoming real?” 

“No,” Jeonghan shakes his head. “The opposite. I was afraid of how much I liked that it felt real. That day at the wedding, I—I wanted to kiss you for real, Y/N. Not have to fake it.” 

“Oh…”

“If we did meet up for Christmas, I don’t know what might’ve happened. I thought it was safer to stay away for a bit and gather my thoughts.” He hesitates slightly and you can see the pained smile he has on. “But one day into the holidays and I was already regretting my decision.” 

You don’t know what to say to that. Your mind is hardly listening anymore when it keeps on repeating Jeonghan’s words like a broken record, screaming to you that it’s real, that all of it is real. That you’re not the only one who’s been feeling this way, and that you won’t need to stage a fake breakup for your fake relationship. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking you out of your thoughts.

“I’m just—are you sure all this is real? Jeonghan, are you being serious?”

He breaks into a tender smile. “Don’t you remember? I already answered you back then, Y/N.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You asked me if I’d be your darling, even if thousands of miles may separate us, even if—” 

“—if the paths we walk may crumble,” you finish off. “Or something like that. I actually have no idea what we said back then.”

Those were the lines in the play that you did back in high school, the very lines that the two of you conjured out of thin air one day and the very moment that started this whole thing. 

“Yeah, that,” he says softly.

“Hmm, so, babe,” you put on your usual mockingly sweet tone, repeating the line that you said on stage many years ago, “are you going to kiss me?” 

Jeonghan holds back a smile like he can’t contain his happiness, and follows with his line without missing a beat. “If that’s what my darling wants.”

The smile only widens when he gets up from his seat and you go to meet him halfway, and it’s the last thing you see when he leans in closer and closer. Jeonghan gently slides his thumb between his lips and yours as he closes the distance, like how it was done the very first time, but this time you can feel it as he slowly moves it away. 

Then you’re kissing him, actually kissing him for real for the first time. His lips are soft and warm, and the bit of hesitance between you seems to completely melt away as you wrap your arms around him and he pulls you closer. You let yourself drown in his scent, the warmth of his touch, and the loud pounding of your heart now that you no longer have to be paying attention to the reactions of the people around you. Nothing else matters anymore, all that matters is what you have now.

You spend the rest of the night catching up, whether that’d be stories over the years of shared memories, or creating new memories to make up for the lost time. He tells you he loves you and that the trip suggestions were very much real, and the two of you laugh over how you’ve become the exact couple you once mocked. It’s easy to understand them now though, you think as Jeonghan gives you a sleepy smile as you’re cuddled up on the couch.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to ask something,” you say, and he looks at you in alarm at your abruptness. “Why did you tell Mingyu that we were together?”

Jeonghan stays silent for a bit, narrowing his eyes as if having difficulty recalling what you’re talking about. Then he finally answers. “Oh that?” He chuckles. “That was because I didn’t want him to think he had a chance with you.”

[lavernius]

It’s just him and this small, empty room, tucked into the corner of a very lived-in base full of his former enemies. Right—he’s getting out of here the second his ship is fixed, no two ways about it.

(Or: Locus stops by Iris to recuperate and winds up getting more involved with the Reds and Blues than he ever wanted to be.)

[galaxygirl8880]

I don't want to get your hopes up, but I low-key miss posting? 👉👈

I have a lot of unfinished drafts, (like 72) and this one didn't make the cut because if I remember correctly, I thought it was too ooc or something lol.

Idk, maybe I'll get back to uploading again :>

---

Cale but his spice tolerance is fucking ridiculous

Beacrox is trying to perfect a spicy recipe and Cale wants to taste so he lets him with a warning that it's pretty spicy

Cale tries it anyway and doesn't make a face, doesn't to that breathing inwards thing or anything. He nonchalantly puts his spoon down and is like- "Pretty good, could use some more spice though."

And Beacrox, bless his heart, has to do a double take. Like- "?????"

He'd let others try samples and they were suffering for at least 30 minutes

His young master, who detests sour things and has a sweet tooth, said he wants more chili flakes???

Not what he was expecting but oh well-

So like those fics where the children want Beacrox and Cale to have a cook-off, Raon picks the spicy category

He hears Cale whispering to himself "okay mild spices" and thinks nothing of it.

Once they're done, Cale's dish is inedible to everyone but Choi han

It looks delicious and everyone wanted to try some but after bud tried it first and almost died they've been rightfully nervous-

(some wanted to take the risk- it's not every day you can taste something the young master cooked personally)

[onnoffwrites]

After recent events, I ended up going back to the beginning to check things, because my first reaction will always be "wtf, this is shit, why would you do this" and my second reaction will always be "okay maybe that was a bit much, maybe he's not THAT bad, maybe has a good reason-

Okay.. that doesn't rly mean anything, maybe she's just worried kaito found something he shouldn't-

Okay.. okay this looks, well maybe he's just leaving some recordings in case kaito found something he shouldn't! It's not like they can hide it forever! The room is part of the house! Kaito lives in the house-

Excuse me... What did .. what did you say...? Wha

What do you mean "designed"?

What??? What do you MEAN "designed to open after 8 years"???

I have been angry since April 12th and I've reached a point where I don't even know what to feel anymore I don't even know what to tell y'all.

Like, wow, omg, movie reveals. Other than family relations, the other thing isn't exactly anything new. We've all read Midnight Crow. We saw Kaitou Corbaeu. We've been in denial until finally reaching acceptance. For me at least. And then we spend a few years bargaining, bc surely there's a good reason kaitos not in the know. That kaito has to be KID. Surely there's a reason? Right?

Right???

At this point we don't even truly know if Jii is in the know and was acting as planned out by the parents or not. Or if he's just like kaito. Tricked, lied to, played for fools. At the very least ginzo doesn't know, so there's that. Not sure how much that would help kaito when he inevitably finds out. Because he will. The fact remains that it's quite suspicious that Jii just so happen to choose to don the KID outfit and become KID to draw out toichis murderers exactly 8 years after toichis death. EXACTLY the same amount of time that was set for that trap door portrait to open to kaito.

There's a lot of implications to think about

[that1notetaker]

@westwindy1 Here you go. I was meaning to post some stuff, so now you have a mix of scrapped stuff, Chapter 3 spoilers of Blue and Silver, (the modern fic, except not exactly. Magic still runs rampant and things get interesting, hopefully), and future tibbits.

[bipanicoverthegravessiblings]

The fact that this is a whole new sprite makes this astronomically hilarious to me

[access-point]

Everyone thinks that Qrow is the one likes to collect rocks, trinkets, and shiny things. Mostly because of how often he's seen doing it, and slightly because of the running joke that crows do the exact same thing.

But the fact of the matter is: Clover is the one with a four-leaf clover charm, a horshoe, and a rabbit's foot. That's not one, not two, but three different trinkets right there. Who's to say he doesn't have more good luck objects? Who's to say he doesn't have a pair of special, lucky dice? Maybe a shiny gold coin that he secretly carries around in his pocket? Maybe even a piece of decoration or jewlery (a ring, perhaps?) that's encrusted with a jade, a gemstone believed to bring good luck?

TLDR: Clover is the one who collects trinkets, not Qrow. Qrow is just the one to find them for him, because everytime he sees something like that, Clover is all he can think about, so he takes it to bring back to him.

[uncleardyn]

man i love that character. you know, the deeply paranoid author who made a pact with a dark entity that ultimately ended with him stranded in another dimension separated from his loved ones for years at a time? takes place in the pacific northwest? has twin imagery associated with him and a reoccurring specific piece of symbology related to the unfortunate situation they're in? doesn't ever explain the reasoning behind his actions and instead just kinda goes "bro trust me"? yeah he also wears an outer layer of clothing with elbow pads on it, that one.

[godsfavoritescientist]

Drabble request: post-canon "happy" ending for Bill & Ford, but find some way to imply that something super fucked up is going on just beneath the surface. Mind control, dream bubble fantasy, idk, dealer's choice, just something messed up.

Fragments of what was once Earth drift through the empty vacuum of space. They sit together on a summoned-up couch, watching it all float by. Ford fidgets with his brand new eye-shaped gold cufflinks. His ornately-embroidered sleeves are drenched in blood.

The henchmaniacs are busy elsewhere, expanding their reign of benevolent terror to the outer reaches of the galaxy. This mostly entails eating space rocks and crashing planets into eachother. For the first time since Ford accepted Bill’s offer, they’ve had time to really sit down and chat.

Bill throws an arm over Ford’s shoulder. “Lemme tell you something, Sixer. It doesn’t really matter how necessary it was–and believe me, it was necessary! What matters more is that it was the most fun you’ll ever have! Now that you’re immortal, I won’t sugarcoat it: Earth’s entire existence is a blip in the grand scheme of things. It was like a really dry log: destined to be burned!” He pats Ford on the back. “So don’t let me catch you moping about it.”

“I’m not moping,” Ford bristles, leaning away from Bill’s touch. “I’m contemplating.”

“Hah! Contemplating! You hear this guy?” Bill asks an imaginary audience, gesturing at Ford with his thumb. “Well contemplate this: we’ve got ultimate power over the entire multiverse. You might as well be a god. You can spend an eternity studying everything that ever was and ever will be. This is a sweet deal no matter how you spin it!”

Ford makes a noncommital sound. “That very well may be true, and I am grateful to you, but… human emotion is not so easy to logic away, I’m afraid. I want to move on as easily as you did, but…” he shrugs helplessly. “It’s just hard to believe it’s gone.”

Bill pats him on the back. “A little bit of shock is normal! Took me a few weeks to work through. Of course, I was brand new to the third dimension too, so it shouldn’t take quite that long for you. But humans are more emotional than shapes, so I’ll be patient! Don’t say I never did anything for ‘ya.”

Ford doesn’t meet his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Now! You know what helps me when I’m like this? A good distraction! There’s bound to be dozens of my enemies tracking us down right now–it’s not exactly hard to miss a whole planet blowing up. So we’d better get a head start on things, attack first before any of them can put us on the defensiv-” Bill squints at something approaching from the distance. “Hey, what’s that?”

Ford looks up sharply. It takes a few seconds to spot it, but as it gets closer, it’s unmistakable: a steely-gray entirely flat object, no more than two feet wide and long, flying towards them.

Once it’s right between them, it slows to a stop. From above, it’s clearly shaped like a 2D spacecraft, except that all four walls are enclosed, not just the perimeter.

A stick-thin door opens up, and out floats a dozen multicolored geometric shapes, all with skin covering their bodies from above and below, not just around their perimeter.

For the first time in eons, Bill is too stunned to speak a single word.

The leader of the group, a irregularly-shaped silver isoceles triangle, speaks first. “It’s you! It’s really you! We were starting to think you died in the aftermath of our dimension’s death. But the energy signals we’ve been following over the past week… we knew it couldn’t be anyone else.”

Bill’s voice is very quiet, and much less echoey than usual, as he says, “I thought you all died. I made sure you all died.”

The little silver triangle laughs. “Nope! The cleverest of us were able to escape. Your destruction only took the lives of those unwilling to change, unwilling to adapt to the higher dimensions. And the lives we’ve led since then have been so much better than anything our homeworld could have ever offered to us. We owe you a great deal.”

As he listens to this, Bill glows brighter and brighter and brighter, until he’s glowing the brightest that he’s ever been. “I knew it! I knew the worthy ones would live, I knew there was a way out for ones like you!”

He turns to Ford with a brilliant gleam in his eye. “Ford, these are survivors from my home dimension! Do you know how long it’s been? At least a trillion years! These guys are persistent. More than worthy of joining the gang, right Ford?”

Ford looks just as overjoyed as Bill. “Absolutely—but this is incredible! Liberating my dimension didn’t just give me an eternity at your side, but it’s also allowed these shapes to finally find you!” He shakes his head in wonder. “This whole time, you were right, Bill. You were right about everything. If our first act as joint-rulers of the multiverse can accomplish something of this scope, then there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.”

Bill embraces Ford in a hug that sends them both twirling through outerspace. “Isn’t it exhilirating? Being free from all those stupid little ties to a planet that’ll be dead and gone in the blink of an eye?”

Ford nods wholeheartedly. “There’s a whole multiverse out there for the taking. You’ve finally made me see that.”

He lets go of Bill, and looks back at the handful of shapes floating nearby. “You must have so many questions. I know I do. But I’ll let you catch up with Bill, first.”

Bill zooms back to face the shapes. “Boy do I ever!!! How long do you guys live now that you’ve adapted yourselves to a three-dimensional world, because we’re gonna be here for a while.”

The group settles in for a very long chat, exchanging stories and ideas and many cups of tea. And way off in the distance, far out of Bill’s line of sight, his little world’s edge glimmers with the iridescence of a soap bubble.

[sunnyupsidedown]

Time Travel/Immortal AU: Andrew’s Side

This has been in my drafts for ages. Time to yolo post lol

As the title says, I had this AU and well, I’m not gonna finish it, but I still wanted to share it. The plot is completely thought out (kinda). There was a bunch a research that didn’t want to do and I wanted to do a good job (especially with the Native American aspects of the story) so in the end it got scrapped.

This is a mix of notes and small snippets of the story. Some of it is better written than others.

[original snippet] [Neil’s Side]

Andrew is immortal. This will follow his timeline and his POV.

Under the cut because this is a very long post.

The Beginning

Andrew Minyard always knew he was different. He knew this before he met Neil when he was 7 winters old and before he fell into the lake and stopped aging. He knew he was different when he developed an awareness of his surroundings. When he looked down at his pale skin, or caught a glimpse of his yellow hair and blue-green-brown eyes, it was impossible not to see the difference between himself and the rest of the tribe with their dark hair and brown skin. He’s asked about it before. They say he was born from the village chief’s daughter and a man blessed by the good spirit.

Born in year 1007.

Born in a small hunting and gathering community that recently learned how to plant crops so they’ve settled down. A village where he would have to collect fruit as a chore.

So the Vikings came around 1000AD, stayed for a couple years, then left due to hostile natives (see Beothuk). Idk how it happens, romance or something more violent, but Andrew’s mother gets pregnant, the vikings leave, and then Andrew was born blue eyed and blond (that’s probably not how genetics works...). Defs black sheep of the tribe but it was another set of hands for hunting/gathering. (Research note: vikings were from the ‘good spirit’ so because he was an offspring they may have given him a special position?) Everyone in the village is basically family.

Meets Neil(18) at age 7 (1014 AD).

“You’re shorter than I remembered and that’s really saying something.” Andrew instantly dislikes him. “Also, stay away from islands.”

The first time Andrew met the man he would come to know as Neil Abram Josten, it was the year 13 B.I. (before immortality). Which made him the ripe age of seven in mortal years. He's had a lot of time to think about it and he's decided that his life span officially started and ended when he fell into that lake. (Neil has told him at various points in his life that that’s not how the calendar system worked. LIke Andrew cared.)

He also came to the conclusion that finding Neil on that hill was the kick start to all the weird shit that'd happen to him in his stupidly long life. Of course it would all start with him and of course it would all end with him too, but that's not for another couple thousand years.

Anyway he was seven and doing some chores for the chief that involved climbing some god awful hill not once, not twice, not even three times, but as many times as it would take to collect enough cherries to feed the entire village which Andrew could tell you reached a number way over ten. It was somewhere between trip number seven and eight when Andrew noticed the man. Well, it was a little hard to miss the beat up and bloody man in strange clothing sitting by one of the only cherry trees that was short enough to be reached comfortably.

“Who are you?”

The man lifted his head, his eyes were the color of a cloudless sky in the middle of the day. And of all things, he smiled and laughed with blood in his teeth. Andrew waited. The man quieted before finally speaking. Instinctively, Andrew knew he was forming words in some structured way but nothing registered as understandable.

There must have been something on his face because the man said something else. It sounded different but just as unknown. He did it two more times before: “I’m Neil. How old are you Andrew?”

“You’re bleeding,” Andrew stated. His eyes roamed over the way the man’s, Neil’s, right arm draped over his midsection and the spot of blood on his chest.

Neil winced, “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

Andrew immediately decided that this man was an idiot.

Andrew takes care of Neil (for the first time and certainly not the last). Notices his skin is like his kinda. His hair is different than the tribe’s and his eyes are definitely different. Neil stays in the orchard for a week and then leaves.

“Thank you Andrew. I’m going to go now.” (Something about how Neil wished he had some chocolate to give him)

“Why?”

“I have to,” Neil said. “The next time you see me, remember, Age and Year if you know it.”

Andrew turned from the cherry tree to look at Neil’s retreat but he was already gone.

Convinced he’s met a god.

Immortality

Immortal doesn’t mean immune to disease. Harder to get sick. Can be killed.

(1027 AD) Goes through trial to become a man after 20 winters (the trial is from ages 15-20. Andrew was held back so long because they thought he would grow taller and there was debate as to whether or not he had to take it).

Trial, he has to travel away from the village and live in solitude for two moons. Then when he comes back he must tell the elder what he has learned.

Travels pretty far. Finds a clearing with a huge lake. Looks fake but I dunno… Somehow falls in. Travels back to village and surprise! He’s been gone for more than 2 months! Weird.

Years pass. Andrew grows and then stops at the height of 5 foot even. Mostly everyone is taller than he is. Trains with the others on fighting (knives, staffs, bows). Not allowed to help with raids because he’s hasn’t done the manhood thing. Asks about it. They say no. They want him to be a little taller. The year he will be twenty winters old, the chief summons him from his cherry picking and tells him that he may go on his journey because obviously he’s not getting any taller. So Andrew packs up his knives and some dried meat and cherries and goes. He heads west and then south for just over one moon cycle. Skirts around some neighboring tribes. Nature stuff. Stumbles into an abrupt cliff. It’s small and at the bottom is a lake. Andrew walks to the edge, heart pounding because you know, heights. Decides to go to the lake’s edge. Slips on moss or something and falls into the lake. He knows how to swim but every second in the water seems to add 10lbs to his body. He’s holding his breath and the moment he cannot any longer, he opens his eyes and he’s lying on his back in some grass dry. It’s now day/night/morning/idk. He sees the cliff. But there’s no sign of a lake. He checks himself and there’s nothing different. He kinda just shrugs and turns in the direction of home.

Leaving the Village

(1302 AD) Out lives his generation and the next 4. Tribe starts treating him differently. Does not like. So he leaves. (Research Note: 6 months to 1 year to walk from village to central america or village to west coast or west coast to east coast)

Travels south where he’s heard stories of land of just grass and holes so large that the dirt that filled them formed hills larger than anything he’s ever seen.

He does go back every couple decades and stays for a year or so.

“Is that the last of the fish?”

Andrew nodded as he passed the string of fish to Kanguyak. She bowed her head slightly, her long braided black hair swept forward. She was his age, or more like she was the same age as his outward appearance. He remembered when she was born. It was spring and a bunch of daisies had just began to bloom. That's where her name came from. He remembered when her mother and her grandmother were born. He remembered learning how to fish along side her grandmother's father. Four generations, however long that was for he had lost count of the winters, was a long time. He no longer had anyone to ask if it was normal to live as long as he has.

“I'm leaving.” Andrew stated. Kanguyak looked up from where she had started cleaning the fish. Her eyes held something that made Andrew uncomfortable. Then she nodded.

“Okay. If you come back tomorrow I'll have some dried fish ready.”

Andrew shook his head. “I'll be gone by tonight.”

(1337) Meets Neil (20) by the grand canyon.

For a while now all Andrew could see was dirt in every direction. It wasn’t the fertile dark dirt of his home, nor was it the rocky dirt of the extremely large hills he just came from, this stuff was sandy, brittle, red, clay. When it rained the mud caked onto his feet and made it hard to walk.

As Andrew walked, he felt something in the world around him. He was coming up to something soon. It was a hollow feeling. Like if he breathed it wouldn’t quite reach his lungs. It was like when he saw the first large hill, how when he walked closer it just got larger and taller. Impossibly so, but it was in front of him and real. It was like when he scaled the large hill and turned the corner and saw the world from height of a bird. How he saw for miles.

He kept on walking straight. And there. On the horizon, it started. It was a line. A cliff he knew. A sudden drop off. But the closer he got, he knew it wasn’t just a normal cliff. It was a chasm. A large one. Like the hills, impossibly large. He looked to the left to see if there was a way to get to the other side. There wasn’t. It stretched on forever. He looked to right to check that side but his eyes caught on a figure sitting on the edge. Fire red hair. It was… Andrew wracked his brain for an answer. “Neil…” Andrew whispered the first word he’s said in probably years.

The man, Neil, turned and smiled. He was older, but not by much. His hair was different, longer on top, shorter on the sides. Curly. His clothes were still strange. Weirdly fitted to his body and colored in strange ways with weird markings. He shouldn’t have been there. Did he not age also? But that wouldn’t explain how he disappeared all those hundreds of years ago, nor did it explain his sudden reappearance now.

“Hello Andrew. How old are you?” his voice was the same but without the tinge of pain.

“Tell me your age and the year if you know it…” echoed in Andrew’s head. He still didn’t really know what he meant by year and his age, well he lost track a while ago.

“I don’t know. Maybe 300 winters. Maybe more. It’s hard to keep track.”

Neil’s smile grew. Andrew’s eyes were drawn to the giant hole of emptiness behind him. Neil followed his gaze.

“Is this your first time seeing the Grand Canyon?”

“Do you know what chocolate is?”

“You’ve mentioned it once.”

“How many times have you met me?”

“This would be the second.”

“You mean you remember a conversation you had over 300 years ago?”

Andrew doesn’t answer. It’s obvious.

(Neil gives Andrew a chocolate bar. First bite: Andrew thinks it’s very sweet, like honey but not. Second bite: He liked it. Third bite: He was in love. Fourth Bite: It was gone.)

Stay on the edge until the sun sets and Andrew notices how the sun reflects on Neil’s eyes and how his hair is the color of the sky at sunset. The way Neil smiles makes him uncomfortable. But it’s not bad.

Idk stuff happens. Neil tells Andrew the story of the giant who dug a hole. The hole formed the Grand Canyon and the dirt from the hole formed the Rocky Mountains. Neil travels with Andrew as he crosses the Canyon [2-3 months]. When they’re across he disappears again.

“Do you know the story of how the Grand Canyon was made?” Neil paused for a second, his head tilted to the side in thought. “And the Rocky Mountains too I suppose.”

“Mountains?” Andrew asked.

“Ah, I don’t think there’s a word for it in your language. It’s, uh, a very large hill?”

Andrew nodded. Mountain. It sounded way better than referring to them as large hills. He nodded for Neil to tell the story.

“So,” he began. “You know the Sun and the Moon gods? They had three children together: Air, Water, and Land.”

Andrew and his Chocolate Adventure

(1353ish) Andrew is hanging out around the Mayan Empire. He’s treated well because the people low key think he’s a god(?) maybe because of his skin/hair/eyes. He fights in tournaments and he wins one and the award him with a drink. It’s chocolate drink and it’s disgusting by itself but to die for with a boat load of honey.

Word spreads that a being with hair of fire has been caught and will be sacrificed to the gods and Andrew’s like “hair of fire? Sounds familiar” and lo and behold it’s Neil (16) (Andrew still low key thinks he’s a god). Andrew breaks him out and they leave south/central america. Once they’re out (2-4 months), Neil leaves again.

A Bunch of Stuff Happens

(1580) Roanoke: Idk what happens here but Neil just turned 19. 

(1692) Salem Witch Trials aka the case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time over the course of 70 years.

(1625) There's a little girl Gretta that helps her pa sell supplies to Andrew at the inn they run.

(1640) Gretta has married. Her and her husband decide to move the family to Salem to be closer to some distant relatives. On the way there Andrew runs into them on the road. Gretta thinks he looks familiar but does nothing about it.

(1692) Andrew wonders into Salem to pick up supplies and wow there’s some sort of riot going on. Gretta, an old lady now, sees Andrew and remembers him from earlier in her life and accuses him a witch since he hasn’t aged.

Neil’s (17) there at some point. And they both escape.

(1749) Idk what Andrew is doing but Neil (18) has a shoulder wound.

“Ouch! Stop it, it’s still tender!” “You still have that wound?” “For you it might have been 700 years but to me it’s been like a week. God Andrew.”

(1793) Andrew goes to visit his village again. It’s been about 100 years since his last visit. Finds nothing. He asks around and finds that the village was raided by a neighboring tribe with the help of the foreigners so they had guns while his people did not. This happened 10 years ago. His people were all dead, slaves to other tribes, or absorbed into other tribes.

The Horrors of Early Psychiatric Practices

(1856 Age: 849) Gets captured and put in an asylum.

He’s been living for so long, and his memory is very good. Blessing and a curse.

Had a place and people to call home (even if it wasn’t really anymore)

(1861) Neil (late 19) to the rescue!

The asylum would have been okay if it wasn’t the 19th century.

“Hey Andrew! It’s my turn to bust you out!” “Your turn?” “You’ll see.”

(Side effect of the drugs/immortality)

Becomes a little colder

Neil (19-20) goes on the run with Andrew for a few months so that he’ll be safe from the people looking for them for breaking out.

Some point they get together then Neil leaves again.

A 365 Days of Visits

(1862 - 2227) For 365 years, Neil (30-31) visits Andrew for one day before leaving.

Before Neil leaves they ask each other a question they have to answer the next time they see each other.

(I had a list of questions/answers written down somewhere but can’t find it)

Settle

Sometime in the future Neil (21) settles down and he and Andrew live in peace together for 60 years. When Neil is 30 he has to leave for a year because he lived in that year when he was younger and he can’t be in the same time period twice. Andrew spends that year tracking down the younger Neil (15-16).

The Break Out

Throughout Neil’s life he’s talked about being on the run and being captured at some point. Andrew makes it his goal to break him out. He knows the year and he’s finally figured out the place. So he waits.

It was weird seeing him so young and afraid when the last time he saw him alive and moving he was complaining about aching joints as he helped him into bed that night he died.

The Death of A.J. Minyard

(3000) Andrew gets cancer and dies in a hospital.

“Hey man, should you be out here?” Andrew didn’t give the man an answer. He was just so tired. “Well, okay, if you need anything just tell me. I need something to do while I wait for my sister.” Andrew remained quiet and the man took it as a sign to continue. “You see, she’s pregnant. And she went into labor and it’s already been 3 hours and i can’t believe she just kicked me out, her own brother. I’m the only one here to support her. I don’t see her good for nothing husband anywhere in sight. The trouble I go through for her, she should name her kid Stuart after me. See she’s naming him Nathaniel after the good for nothing dad. Nathaniel Abram Wenisnski. Stuart sounds way better. Don’t you agree? Hey are you okay? Nurse!”

The man said Nathaniel, but Andrew only heard Neil. Neil Abram Josten was born on that day and Andrew Joseph Minyard took the final breath of his very long life.

End Notes: There’s a lot of things that were still getting thought about: Like does Aaron exist? What about Exy? What about the rest of the Foxes? How do Neil and Andrew communicate? Etc. But well, didn’t happen.

I actually did a lot of preliminary research on the Native American tribe Andrew grew up in. (And of course Andrew’s name wasn’t Andrew when he’s born. It was gonna be Anyu and eventually evolve turn to Andrew). 

[rejectedfables]

"how to lose a guy in 10 days" XueXiao AU

Xue Yang is trying to prove a point about Xiao Xingchen not really being the pinnacle of Patience and Goodness that (Xue Yang believes) he presents himself as, a point about how people are inherently shitty to each other and even Xiao Xingchen will get fed up and reject him if he pushes hard enough

Xiao Xingchen, who knows only that Xue Yang has a shady past, is trying to prove a point about how people are inherently good, and how Care and Compassion allows even the worst people to change for the better

Unfortunately for both their plans and points, they just genuinely LIKE each other so much that Xiao Xingchen doesn't really WANT Xue Yang to change, and Xingchen's seemingly unconditional love becomes utterly disarming to Xue Yang

[comfortless]

https://x.com/lanadelgothx/status/1786735971859337474?s=46&t=G9_GQiaCZYabuLCG267iDg

can’t.. resist.. the link sharing

this is so könig coded. i know he couldn’t be able to resist your other hole and mumbling to himself how good it is and how good you’re doing. eeeee and the “my girl” i can’t

ahahaha… maaaaan 🫠🌋

this is an attempt on my life i think my god

[galaxygirl8880]

I think it'd be funny if Cale learned how to cough up blood on command

Like that one time where Alberu asked Cale to faint Cale would be like "alright he probably wants this to be realistic" and just coughs up blood while pretending to faint- Alberu and Choi han being horrified and thinking he was just putting up a front to not worry them and beating themselves up over not noticing anything-

Then Cale falls asleep and now they're really panicking-

This is probably completely unrealistic but stfu it would be funny and it's fanfiction so why not-

---

Man this draft is OLDD

Medically accurate?? Who's she??